The relationship between online class environments and economic burden and mental health among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examined the relationship between online class environments and the economic burden and mental health among university students at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey participants were 909 undergraduate students, and graduate students in Hokkaido who responded to the first wave of the two-wave panel survey. The survey was conducted from July to September 2020. This study used K6 and GAD-7 as indicators of mental health. The results showed that students with both a high economic burden and a high burden of on-demand online classes after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had a high probability of exceeding the cutoff points (indicating severe depression and anxiety) for K6 (above 13 points) and GAD-7 (above 10 points). The number of live online classes predicted lower depression. The discussion focused on the characteristics of online classes and discussed why they were associated with mental health and how to reduce the sense of burden in classes. In addition, we pointed out the importance of economic support for university students, since economic burdens were related to mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Effect of Online Home-Based Resistance Exercise Training on Physical Fitness, Depression, Stress, and Well-Being in Middle-Aged Persons: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect of online home-based resistance exercise training on fitness, depression, stress, and well-being. A total of 67 individuals participated. Of them, 28 participants (13 men and 15 women, average age: 45.1 ± 12.2 years) performed the same exercise training online (n = 17), using Zoom, or in person (n = 11) in 2020 (Study 1). In addition, 39 participants (15 men and 24 women; average age: 47.6 ± 10.8 years) performed eight weeks of online home-based resistance exercise training in 2021 (Study 2). The participants performed low-load resistance exercises twice a week for eight weeks (16 sessions). Muscle strength, thigh muscle cross-sectional area, fitness parameters, blood pressure, mental health (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale-CES-D; and Kessler Psychological Distress scale-K6), and well-being (Well-Being Index-WHO-5) were measured pre-and post-resistance training. In Study 1, eight weeks of online home-based resistance training improved CES-D (p = 0.003), and a similar tendency was observed in resistance training (RT) with the in-person group (p = 0.06). There was a significant improvement in CES-D symptoms after the online home-based resistance training in Study 2 (p = 0.009). However, there were no significant changes in the WHO-5 and K6. Our results suggest that online low-load resistance training improves fitness parameters and curbs depressive status.

Glycated hemoglobin level on admission associated with progression to severe disease in hospitalized patients with non-severe coronavirus disease 2019.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Poor glycemic control is known to be associated with severe infection development. This retrospective observational study examined whether glycemic control before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) onset contributes to progression from non-severe to severe COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured on hospital admission in 415 patients with non-severe COVID-19. The outcome was determined from time of hospital admission to severe progression, based on clinical practice guidelines for COVID-19 in Japan. RESULTS: The median value for HbA1c on admission was 6.1%, with diabetes present in 138 patients (33.3%). Among the total cohort, 93 (22.4%) progressed to severe COVID-19 with a median (interquartile range) time of 4 days (3-7 days), whereas 322 (77.6%) were discharged after 13 days (10-17 days). A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that HbA1c level on admission was independently associated with progression to severe COVID-19 (hazard ratio for 1% increase 1.237, 95% confidence interval 1.037-1.475; P = 0.018), with findings consistent among several sensitivity analyses. In subgroup analyses, such an association was significant in patients with diabetes, as well as older age, current smoking habit, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, higher C-reactive protein level, moderate II COVID-19, dyslipidemia and chronic respiratory disease, with no remarkable inconsistency among the subgroups. Finally, higher HbA1c level (≥7%) was more strongly associated with severe COVID-19 progression than diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that poor glycemic control before COVID-19 onset contributes to progression from non-severe to severe COVID-19, even in patients with severe COVID-19 risk factors regardless of the presence of diabetes.